This invention relates to footwear, such as shoes, and foot-driven toys, such as skate-boards, roller-skates and more particularly, to footwear and foot-driven toys with a luminous signal generator.
Footwear with built-in luminous signal generators are well known. In its simplest form, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,253 to McCormick, a shoe is provided with a battery powered light source placed with a transparent compartment of a heel for ornamental purposes. The luminous signals can be generated by light sources such as incandescent bulbs, electro-luminescent panels and light emitting diodes (LEDs). The light is turned ON or OFF by a switch with an actuator located outside the heel.
Many different types of switches, for example, pressure switches, mercury switches and spring switches, have been used to control the light sources of footwear. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,009, a mercury switch in which a ball of mercury runs back and forth along a tube between a pair of electrical contacts which turn on or off a circuit connection as a result of the motion of the footwear is disclosed. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,586, a pressure responsive switch which is operated by the application of the weight of the wearer of the footwear is described. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,408,764 and 5,909,088, a spring switch including a cantilevered coil spring which oscillates up and down to make and break contact with an electrical terminal is described.
To provide a more attractive and eye-catching display, footwear have been provided with intermittently flashing lights. For example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,922, flashing of light in the order of a few Hertz is provided electronically by use of an oscillator or a flasher. To make the flashing light more interesting, an integrated circuit for generating a flashing light sequence when the switch is triggered is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,103.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,900, footwear including a plurality of lights which are selectively illuminated according to a predetermined patent of illumination in response to a velocity measurement is described. In this arrangement, once the system begins to operate, it steps through a series of illumination patterns in which the pattern changes in response to the passage of time without regard to any changes in the motion of the shoe or its wearers.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,045, a delay circuit is provided for generating a random, unpredictable time delay where the motion-responsive switch has been closed. A flashing circuit on the footwear is then operative for flashing the light sources after the random time delay has elapsed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,488 describes footwear with sequential illumination of LEDs. In this teaching, six LEDs are distributed along a plastic strip and each of the LEDs is turned ON in sequence so as to give the appearance of a travelling light along the strip when the LEDs are successively turned ON.
It will be apparent from a review of the above-mentioned prior art teachings that the various forms of light generation, whether static, random or sequential, light generation are solely concerned with providing enhanced visual attractiveness or visual stimulation.
Hence, it will be highly beneficial if features of utilitarian nature can be provided with lighted footwear. Of course, it will be even more desirable if such utilitarian features can be provided while maintaining the visual attractiveness or visual stimulation provided by lighting systems of conventional lighted footwear.
In many walking, jogging or running occasions, it is sometimes desirable to maintain the speed so that it does not exceed a certain maximum limit. For example, a speed limit may be desirable to maintain the heart rate below a certain maximum limit or to maintain a steady running pace for long distance training.
In some occasions, on the other hand, it may be desirable to maintain the speed so that it does not drop below a certain minimum. For example, when it is desirable to maintain a certain speed to complete a certain distance within a certain time limit or to maintain a desirable heart beat to achieve desirable cardio-vascular exercise conditions.
Hence, it will be highly desirable if visible information relating to the instantaneous speed of the wearer can be provided by such lighted footwear. Preferably, such speed related information can be provided without requiring unduly complicated circuitry or circuit arrangements which are bulky and expensive.
Furthermore, it will also be highly desirable if such speed related signals can be observed by the wearer himself/herself or other people. The speed related information will be useful to the wearer so that the wearer will be instantly informed once a certain specified speed limit has been reached. Likewise, the speed related information will also provide information and incentive to other competitors in a race to promote the overall competitiveness and will be useful for a trainer to monitor the instantaneous performance of the wearer.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide lighted footwear (including foot-driven toys) and circuit arrangements therefor in which the generated luminous signals carry with them features of utilitarian nature. In the following specification, the term xe2x80x9cfootwearxe2x80x9d collectively means footwear, foot-driven toys or articles and the like unless the context requires otherwise.
In one aspect, it is an object of the present invention to provide lighted footwear or foot-driven toys or articles in which the luminous signals generated by the footwear or the foot-driven toys carry information relating to the motion speed of the wearer.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide lighted footwear and circuit arrangements therefor in which the luminous signal output will be generated upon reaching a certain pre-determined threshold speed. Preferably, the luminous signal output produced by the lighted footwear once a prescribed threshold speed has been reached will be further indicative of the speed above that threshold speed.
As a minimum, it is an object of the present invention to provide the public with a useful choice of lighted footwear and circuit arrangements therefor.
According to the present invention, there is provided a luminous circuit arrangement for footwear and foot-driven articles and toys such as skate-boards, roller-skates and the like, including:xe2x80x94
a motion actuated contact switch,
a speed threshold detecting means,
a luminous signal generating means, wherein
said speed threshold detection means includes means to compare the switching speed of said contact switch with a pre-determined speed,
said threshold detection means provides a signal to said luminous signal generating means when the switching speed of said contact switch reaches said pre-determined speed.
Preferably, said speed threshold detection means includes timing and decision circuitry for determining whether the operating speed of said motion actuated speed has reached said pre-determined speed by comparing the contact duration time of said contact switch during circuit closing with a pre-set time.
Preferably, said pre-set time being equivalent to the switch closing time duration in each switch operation cycle corresponding to the switch closing duration at said predetermined threshold speed.
Preferably, said timing circuitry includes a resistor capacitor (R-C) pair having a time constant approximately equal to said pre-set time.
Preferably, said timing circuitry includes a resistor (R) and a capacitor (C) such that the time constant (xcfx84=RC) is approximately equal to the contact time per operation cycle of said motion actuated contact switch corresponding to said pre-determined speed.
Preferably, said operating speed of said contact switch is determined by monitoring the contact duration time during each switch closing cycle.
Preferably, said motion actuated contact switch includes a cantilevered spring actuation member having a springable free end which closes or opens said switch connection respectively by contacting with or disengaging from a switch terminal of said switch, said contact duration time between said spring end and said switch terminal being inversely proportional to said speed of operation of said contact switch.
Preferably, said luminous signal generating means further includes a flashing frequency controller in which the flashing frequency output is variable by the resistance valve at the input of said controller, said resistance being variable by said contact duration of said contact switch.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided footwear including the afore-mentioned circuit arrangements.
Preferably, said footwear includes a luminous signal display visible at the front of said footwear.